VIDALIA — Concordia Parish School Board members said, at Thursday’s regular meeting, that a “C” isn’t good enough for the district.

The letter grade was awarded recently by the state department of education, based on last year’s test scores.

Superintendent Loretta Blankenstein said the schools are doing several things to increase student achievement at the schools, including increasing the number of ACT preparation classes from one to two and adding 125 computers, among other educational programs.

School board member Raymond T. Riley said work needs to be focused on schools in Ferriday, all four of which received Ds.

“We need to start where the problems are,” he said.

Board member Fred Butcher said the board needs to get parents involved in their children’s education as well.

“No matter what the teachers do, we have to get parents reinforcing what is being done,” he said.

In other business at the meeting:

– The school board honored several high school students with the annual Sidney A. Murray Hydroelectric Citizenship Award at its meeting Thursday.

Blankenstein said school personnel recommended the students for the annual award based on good citizenship.

“The award is really about being good citizens,” she said.

The award was given to the following students:

Vidalia High School

-9th grade: Gracyn Nelson, daughter of Dr. Paul and Karen Nelson.

-10th grade: Garrett Henson, son of Stacy and Misty Henson.

-11th grade: Madison Pittman, daughter of Darryl and Nancy Moon.

-12th grade: Dixie Thorton, daughter of Joseph and Jennifer Thornton and Cindy Wilkinson.

Ferriday High School

-9th grade: Allen Cummings, son of Rosie and Cleothis Cummings, Jr.

-10th grade: Cailyn Glenn, son of Vernita Barber.

-11th grade: Kanedra Brooks, daughter of Benedra and Kalvin Brooks.

-12th grade: Bobbie Williams, daughter of Zilika Williams.

Monterey High School

-9th grade: Tukor James, son of Roy and Paige James.

-10th grade: Marshall Lipsey, son of Will and Shannon Lipsey.

-11th grade: Mackenzie Owens, daughter of Keith and Stacy Owens.

-12th grade: Ellen Bairnsfather, daughter of Joe and Debbie Bairnsfather.

In other news from the meeting:

-Ferriday Junior High School Librarian Lynn Paul was honored with an award at the meeting as a recipient of a $5,000 grant from the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries.

The grant can only be used for purchasing books for the library. Paul said the library grant has been a big help in building the library’s book collection.

“So far, I have spent about $2,000, and I am having a lot of fun doing that for the books,” Paul said.